The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-22
MAY BE $4,000 IN RAGS.
Guesses at the Wealth of Miser Mary
Smith.
From the Boston Globe.

Mrs. Mary Smith, the miser, whose death
in apparent poverty, but with plenty of
money in her ragged clothes, was reported
Monday, had not always been professional
beggar, but was for many years in business
as a manufacturer of corsets and hoop
skirts, not far from the old Colony depot,
and the sign which hung over her bed was
the one which formerly marked her work
shop door. She did quite large business,
and for several years gave employment to
three or four women and girls. She at that
time lived in squalid quarters, and her
workshop was almost as dirty, as dingy, as
squalid as the miserable apartment where
she always slept and sometimes ate.
Notwithstanding the mean and unsavory
quarters which she occupied, she had CON
siderable work at her shop, and from the
close method in which she conducted the
business and her misery habits she was en-
abled to accumulate many thousand dollars
from her shop alone. Even while conduct
ing her shop it appears that she added TO her
income by begging food, clothes and money,
and was gaining a considerable revenue by
plying the vocation of a beggar, while the
women in her employ were at work making
corsets.
The two relatives, John and Richard
WEIGH, who in her will were cut off with 81
each, are nephews, not cousins, and are the
children of her sister, who died in Fall River
some fourteen years ago. John has lately
lived in Newport, where he has worked on
many of the cottages at his trade of a hard
wood finisuer. He last worked on the Lor-
lizard cottage, and on finishing that job came
to Boston, with the intention, if he did not
find work here, of going on to Chicago.
John has not been found here, and it is sup
posed that he has gone West.
Richard Lynch who lives in Lowell, was
first made aware of the death of his aunt by
the story published Monday, and at once
telegraphed to another brother. who resides
in Fall river, informing him of the fact and
asking him to go to Lowell.
Thomas Lynch, the Fall River relative,
was at Newport on his vacation, and did not
receive the telegram as expected, and Rich
ard waited at the depot in Lowell all day
Monday in vain. At night the telegram
reached it's destination, and arrangements
were made for meeting between the broth
ers TO decide upon the course to take in rela-
ton to the property which their aunt left
In cese the will is not found the three
nephews and their cousin, Mrs. Fallon, of
Hyde Park, will, of course, come in for their
proportionate share of the property; in case
the will is found, the Fall River nephew,
who is not mentioned in the will according
to Lawyer Colbeth's story, will have an OPP
portunity 10 contest 1t, if he sees fit.
About the old lady's antecedents her rela-
tives, who had little intercourse with her,
have but slight knowledge The old lady
was not inclined to make many visits, and
her habits were such that her relatives
would not have much TO do with her Her
last visit 10 Fall River was about seventeen
years ago. Her nephews occasionally visited
her. About two years ago Thomas called
at her shop. He had repeatedly protested
against her method of life, but to no effect,
and had supposed that she was poor,
although he knew of her misery ways. On
this occasion he told his aunt she ought to
have better clothes.
Where will get themf she asked.
Buy them" said he II will give you
the money If you need it"
She looked at him, a curious light in her
eyes, and said, "Ive got more money than
YOU
And the find in her mattress and cloth
ing shows that she had. Her relatives have
no means of accurately estimating her
fortune but it is the general belief that the
estimate OF $50, 900 Is not too much, and
gentleman who knew something Of her
habits when alive, and has had some things
which were formerly inexplicable made sig
nifcant In the light given by the story,
says he would not be surprised If IL
amounted 20 something like $4,000 when
the returEsare all in.
The course 10 be adopted by the relatives
will net be determined until after a confer
ence is had. One Singular thing in the story